A Right to Kill
by masterreader
Summary: Edward Masen, a young trail lawyer is caught in the middle of trail and war among his townspeople. Can he finish his case and leave with his life and heart intact? Rated M for language, occurrence of rape and lemons in future chapters.
1. Lies, Truths, & Going Home

**Disclaimer: All of these lovely characters belong to the wonderful ****Stephenie ****Meyer. I am but a loyal reader who just wanted more.**

**Now my first story has a lot of context that is based on the book "A Time to Kill" by John Grisham. If you haven't read it, please do. It is wonderful.**

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**EPOV**

Life in Forks Mississippi was a simple life. Hot sunny summers and mild winter made life is Forks tolerable. Everyone knew each other and they all lived a simple life. Simple town, simple people, or so Edward thought.

One night while working in his father's law firm, Edward came upon a closed box full of cases he has never seen. He has always respected his father's privacy but something about these cases intrigued him. He figured that just looking at the cases wouldn't hurt. The first file that he opened was about the death of a local black man. Edward remembered the man from his childhood days. Mr. Davis owned the small local supermarket down the road. He was a kind soul to everyone that came into the store, but he had a special place in his heart for Edward. Edward had always wondered what happened to his old friend.

Upon further reading, he was shocked to what he had found. Turns out that Mr. Davis was hung outside his home where his wife and children watched. How had Edward not known this? Turning the page, he found his father's hand written notes. What he read chilled him to the bones. Only one word, written in red stood out. The KKK.

Quickly closing the case and opening a new one, Edward noticed a pattern. All of these cases had one thing in common. The KKK. But how could that be, Edward asked himself. The KKK movement has been non-existent for the last 20 years. No one has seen as much a burnt cross let alone people dressed in white ropes and hoods.

But could his father be mistaken? There were well over 100 cases in the box and the people involved had all died in inhumane circumstances. If the KKK were active, than the once peaceful life that he thought he knew was in grave danger. Quickly returning everything to the way it was and closing the box, Edward scrambled to his feet and poured himself a drink, the case he was originally working on forgotten.

He sat at the desk where his father, and grandfather before him had all sat and sought out the truth. This is what he did. He was a seeker of sorts. He found the truth no matter where it hid or how little is was. He has lived his entire life by living the truth. No matter how painful it was. But it seems now that his entire life was a well-masked lie, and that lie was crashing down on him and all of Forks. The KKK were well and thriving in Fork, Mississippi.

**BPOV**

"Hey Mom, how are you and Dad?", Bella asked her mother while sipping her morning cup of coffee.

"Well, dear I would be better if my only daughter, who hasn't been home for the last 4 years would come home to visit", her mother replied while Bella rolled her eyes. Of course that is what her mother would say. She has been having this conversation every day for the last four years and it always started out like this.

"Mom, I have told you this everyday for the past four years, I will come home when my time in Maryland is almost done. You know how much I love and miss you. But Mom my vision, my dream is just within grasp. I am so close I can smell it. I will come home to you and Dad, just give me time. That is all I ask." Bella replied to her mother with tears in her eyes.

She missed her parents but most of all she missed her hometown. Forks, Mississippi were her heart and soul, but she needed to do this before she said goodbye to Maryland. Bella left Forks right after she graduated high school. Her mother begged and pleaded with her to stay and go to college close to home. But it was her father, Chief of Police Charlie Swan that had encouraged his daughter to go to Maryland and study law and join the NAACP.

He saw her passion burn in her eyes whenever she spoke of human rights and equality and he knew that his little girl was meant for something greater than Forks. She was passionate about life and she was passionate about justice. Being Chief of Police he saw the hate crimes and homicides that were the direct result of racism. But he couldn't do anything about it. Sure he tried, but he believed that in order to change the deep nestled hatred that people had for one another, they must first want to change. So that is why with a heavy heart, he let his pride and joy venture out into the world hoping that she might come back home and save the people of her home town.

"I know sweetie, but I can't help this old heart of mine. I worry about you. Are you eating all right and getting plenty of sleep? I know your father and I come visit you almost every 2 months but honey it's not the same. Forks is not home without you. Baby please just think about it" her mother begged once more. Bella swiped at her tears.

Her mother was always relentless. Her will power was decreasing after four years of begging. She wanted to go home, but she wanted to do it on her own time. She knew that once she went back home, there was no way she was leaving again. It hurt too much to leave once. But having to leave her parents twice would surely rip her heart in two.

When her mother didn't hear a reply from her daughter she tired once more.

"Bella, baby your father is missing you like crazy. I know he doesn't let it seem that way, but baby he is hurting. You two were like two peas in a pod. He misses waking you up and eating breakfast together. Honey I worry about him. Just come home. You finished your undergrad. Finish you dream here with us. We need you. Forks is not the same. Something bad is coming, and it scares the living daylights out of me. Baby, both of us need you. Just come home. I can't take this anymore" her mother begged.

She couldn't stop the tears from falling down and Bella knew that her mother was crying as well. Her father was always her weakest link. Her mother knew this and she just had to go and bring her father into this conversation.

"Mom look, how about I think about this for a while and let you know. Who knows maybe Rose and Jazz could come with me for summer vacation. Just please stop crying now."

Bella knew that by saying this, she was actually saying yes. She was just too homesick and tired to say no anymore. She also knew that Rose and Jazz would go anywhere with her. Her best friends had lost their parents when they were younger so they had nothing in Maryland to hold them back. She could have gone to school anywhere but Maryland was where the NAACP was located. But she needed to fill the gap in her heart that Forks and her parents had left. She was just to tired to be away from her home. She knew that without a doubt Forks was calling home, and she was about to answer that call with Rose and Jazz there to back her up. They have always wanted to see Forks and have always told her that they would go anywhere with her. The 3 musketeers never did anything without each other. Where one went, the two other followed. This was no exception.

"OH SWEET JESUS THANK YOU GOD!" her mother cried.

"BABY YOUR FATHER WILL FLIP HIS HOOD. OH MY BABY IS COMING HOME. BELLA I LOVE YOU SO MUCH SWEET GIRL!"

Wow, Bella thought. Her mother must be really excited. She hadn't stopped screaming since she told her the news. Giggling into the phone she told her mother that she was late with a meeting with Rose. After finally quieting down her mother and promising to call her with a definite answer Bella made her way to the local coffee shop with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. After all, she was going home to her beautiful Forks after spending four years away.

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_**AN: Hey guys, this is my first story so please let me know if you want me to continue this story or if I should just give up. **_


	2. Truths Revealed & Hearts Healed

**Disclaimer: All of these lovely characters belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. I am but a loyal reader who just wanted more.**

**Now this story takes place where human rights were just beginning to develop. There is some language in the following chapters that is racist. Please know that I am a person who loves people of all color and races. I mean no disrespect what so ever, but in order to portray the feelings and emotions that our characters go through, we sometimes have to use language and behaviors that we may not agree with. Once again I mean no disrespect what so ever. Enjoy**

**EPOV:**

After spending hours staring into space thinking about nothing and everything at the same time, Edward finally found the courage to get up from his desk and close the law firm. His body was on autopilot while his mind was working overtime trying to think of all the cases that he came up upon. He has always known that his father was a kind man who defended anyone who was innocent.

Color and race was not a factor that was used when determining which case to take and which case to send away. While growing up children had always picked on Edward because his father was a 'nigger lover'. He was a scrawny little boy that was always on the receiving end of the punches thrown during confrontations with other boys. This was how he met his best friend, Emmett McCarty.

Flashback:

_Edward found himself trapped and surrounded by at least a dozen ten-year-old boys all looking for blood. He was in intense pain, and he couldn't open his left eye. He spit the blood that had gathered in his mouth, and he could swear that he cause a couple of his teeth hit the ground. _

"_Get up nigger lover, get up and fight like a real man or didn't your daddy teach you how to fight," James, the leader of the gang shouted at Edward. The other boys laughed as James continued kicking Edward who was lying on the ground. _

_He had thought that if he just ignored them then they would just leave him alone. Boy was he wrong. That just made them even more mad and continued beating the living crap out of him._

_He wanted to fight, but he knew that his mama would take a whip to his behind, even if he was defending himself. Plus 12 against 1 were not very odds. _

"_nigger lover" kick "nigger lover" punch " nigger lover" stomp "nigger lover" kick. _

_Edward couldn't take it anymore. The pain in his entire body was just too much, and the blood that was dripping down his face made it to hard to see anything. He slowly got to his feet, wobbling slightly, only to be kicked in the back, and colliding straight into James taking him down with him as he feel once more into the ground. _

_He felt himself being picked up from James and pushed aside. He looked to see this huge boy sitting on top of James punching him wherever he could. Edward looked around to see that the other boys had all ran away when the newcomer had come to his aid._

"_Not so tough now are you dumb ass," the boy yelled at James while continuing to throw punch after punch._

"_Don't like it when it's you getting the shit beat out of him," the boy finally got off a James, only to kick him in the ribs. James scurried up to his feet, and ran away like a bat out of hell._

_Edward lay on the ground, trying to catch his breath while the boy that had possibly saved his life stood over him trying to figure out what to do with the scrawny weird headed kid._

_End Flashback:_

Emmett had saved Edward that day, not only from the gang of boys, but also from his fear of displeasing his mother. He taught Edward how to fight and defend himself. They soon became the best of friends, and the boys that had always picked on Edward never bothered him when Emmet was by his side. Those two boys did everything together. Edward received an older brother while Emmet received someone to care after.

Stopping himself from bringing up more old memories, Edward slowly locked shop and walked to his car. As he was getting in, he saw a brand new red pick up truck with a repel flag hanging from the window zoom past him.

He drove home thinking about how he should approach his father about the things that he saw in that box. He knew that his father wanted to protect him from harm, but as a 25 year-old man he thought that he deserved the right to know what was going on in his hometown.

He pulled to his house, well his parent's house, and parked in the driveway. He walked into the house only to be assaulted with the most mouth-watering smell that he has ever had the pleasure of smelling. His mother was welcoming him home. He made his way into the kitchen after dropping his briefcase in the lobby, and kissed the most important woman in his life on the cheek and gave her a huge from behind. His mother always worried about him. Raising an only child who came home battered and bruised had left her more overprotective than a lioness defending her cub.

"How was you day, sweet pea," his mother asked after kissing both of his cheeks and forehead.

"Great Ma, got a lot of work done," he answered her while walking to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

"Need any help," he asked her.

"No baby, just go and see if your daddy is finished in his study. That man never stops I swear. Tell him to get his lawyer ass down here in five minutes, or he isn't getting any food tonight," she answered shaking her head.

Laughing, he made his way to his father's study and knocked on his door and entered. He found his father buried behind his huge desk, chest deep in papers and books.

"Hey Pa, how are you. Ma is getting dinner ready and she said to get you " lawyer ass" down there in five minutes or you will be sleeping on an empty stomach tonight," he told his father while smirking at the look of horror his father's face.

"Now that ain't funny son. Never make fun of a man who went to bed without dinner," his father joked back, standing up to greet his only son. He and his wife had always wanted a big family, but it wasn't in the Lord's plan to gift them with more children.

" I hear you there Pa. Listen I wanted to talk to you about some cases that I found. How about we sit down after dinner and discuss some of the things I found. I really need you help," he asked his father while walking back to the kitchen.

"Sure son whatever you need. But first we feast then we talk," his father said taking his seat at the front of the table. Edward was hungry, but he was too anxious for dinner to be over so he could talk to his father about the cases that he found. He knew his father would never lie to him, but he was worried about what exactly his father would tell him.

Dinner was spectacular as usual. His mother was well known for the masterpieces that came out of her kitchen. After dinner he offered his help once more only to be declined by his mother. He followed his father outside to their backyard and sat in the lawn chairs. It was a blistering summer night and the lemonade that he was drinking helped slightly.

"So son, what's been eating at you? You barely touched you food and I know that you always clear your dish," his father asked after taking a long drink from his lemonade.

"Well you're right about something botherin me. Now I need you to stay clam and let me explain everything," he asked his father.

"Well son, now you got my attention. I'm all ears. Go ahead," his father assured while sitting up and giving his son all of his attention.

Edward then started explaining about how he came upon the box and how he read through all the cases. He told his father that he was afraid that the KKK were active yet none seemed to know, and that he should at least at the police know. He told his father that he wanted to help him with the cases that were still active. He also told him how hurt he was that this issue was hidden from and how he thought that his father didn't trust him enough with this information.

"Well I never wanted you to find out this way. I was just waiting for the right time. I trust you more then I trust myself. Never forget that. You asked for me to listen until you were finished, now I wish for you to do the same. The Ku Klux Klan was never gone. They have been hiding all these years and murdering innocent people. I started noticing some similarities with some of my cases and started digging in deeper. What I found shocked me. I have been collecting cases and evidence for over two years now. I haven't done public because I want to be 100% sure. But do know this. I have been working side by side with Chief Sawn. He is a good man with a kind heart. He is supporting me and helping me collect evidence. The reason I kept this from you was that I needed to train you in case anything ever happened to me. You know that they are ruthless people who would do anything to keep people quite. I was planning on letting you know this weekend actually, but you beat me to it. Chief Sawn and I are tired of waiting and the KKK are getting braver by the day. We need to warn people. I need your help son. I have talked to some informants and things are not looking good. We can't do anything right away though. We slowly start introducing the idea that the KKK is back. We don't want people to worry, but they need to know." His father went on to explain case by case and how he came upon his conclusion.

After an hour on non-stop talking the two men went back inside. Edward promised his father that he would do anything to help, and to ensure that his father was safe. He and his father bid each other good night and went to the rooms.

As Edward lay awake in his bed he felt lighter then when he came into the house. After his talk with his father he knew that the upcoming year was going to be hell, but he was willing to do whatever it takes to rid his hometown of the infestation known as the KKK.

**BPOV**

After her talk with her mother, Bella felt light years happier. She met Rose at the coffee shop near their apartment. Rose, Jasper, and herself lived together, but all worked across town from where they live. She found herself sitting down across from Rose, smiling a smile that was a mile long. Rose being over observant knew that something good had finally happened to the girl that she considered her sister for all intents and purposes.

"Whats got you smiling this fine morning Ms Bella?" Rose asked her best friend. She thought that she would never see her friend smile like that again.

"Well Rose, I got some good news. I think," Bella chuckled.

"I spoke to my mom this morning and she finally begged me to come home and I actually told her that I would think about it. I know that I will go back. I have money saved so I can afford to be out of a job for a while and as for rent I doubt that my parents will let me stay anywhere besides home," As Bella was explaining her talk with her mother, she noticed her friend lose the light in her eyes.

"Rose whats wrong? I thought you would be happy for me." Bella asked.

Rose knew that she should be happy for her Bella, but she couldn't live without her. Everything that they planned, they planned together. When Bella didn't ask her to come with her she felt her heart break. Rose was always strong willed and thick skinned. But when it came to Bella and Jasper, she found her self as that little 5-year-old girl that just wanted to be loved by anyone. Rose would have gone with Bella to live in Forks in a heartbeat. She knew Jasper was the same way. They loved Bella's parents as if they were their own.

"Well Bella, I am happy for you but what about me and Jasper. Are you just leaving us here? I thought we would always stick together," Rose asked her friend as she tried to hold the tears in.

Bella felt her heart break for the sad tone in her friend's voice. She was waiting till the end to surprise both Rose and Jasper but that plan quickly changed.

"Of course not you silly girl. I was waiting to surprise both you and Jazz but now I have no choice. I was going to ask you both if you would go with me. I know my parents will welcome you with open arms. We have more than enough room in our house for the both of you. Mom and Dad already feel as if you are theirs as much as I am. So would you please move to Forks with me? Please," Bella asked her friend.

Rose didn't answer but chose instead to lunge across the table, knocking everything down, and hugged the living daylights out of Bella.

"Bells you don't even have to ask. Jazz and I would travel to the ends of the Earth to be with you, What ever would you do without your big brother and sister?" Rose laughed while still hugging her friend.

"Ok Rose, you know I love you and all but come on, I can't breathe," Bella managed to get out with the little amount of oxygen that she was getting.

"Opps sorry," Rose said. She sat back in her chair after kissing Bella on the cheek.

"No problem, now we just have to tell Jasper," Bella said.

"Well he should be back in an hour, let's go to the apartment and wait for him," Rose said as she got up. Bella and Rose walked back to their apartment and found Jasper in the kitchen. He was looking in the fridge for something to eat. When he noticed the girls he turned to them and flashed them his signature smile.

" Well hello darlins. When are we all planning on packing so we can head home to Forks?" He asked.

" Wait how did you know?" Bella asked. She only found out an hour ago.

" Well news travels fast in this here parts. Plus Mama Renee called and gave me the heads up. I just finished quitting my job. Best thing I have done in a while" he answered his sister and best friend.

When the shock finally wore off, the three of them sat down on the kitchen table and began planning their move. They stayed that way for over two hours. Their lease was up in two weeks. That gave them just enough time to tie up all the loose ends and plan their move. The girls wanted to shop for some articles of clothing that they knew wouldn't be found in Forks. Jasper just sat there with a huge smile on his face. He tried convincing Bella to go back home for a while now. He was glad that her mother finally convinced her. He knew just how much pain she was in from being away from her family. He loved Bella, but not in the romantic way. His love for Rose was the same as his love for Bella. Moving to Forks would give them all the peace of mind that they needed.

*****

Two weeks went by faster then Bella thought possible. After packing all of the things that they wanted to take with them in the big truck that Jasper rented, they all settled in the front of the truck. The drive would take 16 hours. They all decided to leave at the crack on dawn and just drive straight through with as little stops as possible. To say that they were excited would be an understatement. They would trade of driving between the three of them, and if all goes well they would arrive at Forks at around 8 PM.

*****

Driving up to her family's house, Bella felt a sense of peace that she hadn't felt for the last fours years. Standing there in the driveway was her father and mother. Her mother had tears running down her face while her father had a smile on his face that was only reviled by the one on his daughter's face.

Bella ran up to her father and hugged him with all the strength that she had in her tiny body. Her father spun her around in a circle all the while welcoming her home. After he finally put her down, she went to greet her mother only to be dragged into a four-person hug. Renee had her arms around Jasper, Rose, and Bella. She had no idea how her mother managed to do that.

"Welcome home, babies, welcome home," was all she said.

**A/N: I hope that you guys like this chapter. Things will start to pick up in a couple more chapters. I just have to introduce everyone first. Please Review to let me know how well I am doing. This is my first fanfic so I am kind of nervous as to the response. Hope that you all enjoyed that.**


	3. Meeting of the Souls

**Disclaimer: All of these lovely characters belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. I am but a loyal reader who just wanted more.**

**Hey guys, so I just noticed something very important in the last two chapters. Me, being in la-la land while writing this story spelled Bella's name wrong. I swear I slapped my forehead so hard that I had a red mark for like an hour. I fixed the errors in the last chapters. Also starting from this chapter, I will start writing in first person. I really hope that people like this story. So far no reviews. I get that I am a new author, but some support would be help my confidence tremendously. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Things are starting to pick up. Enjoy**

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**EPOV:**

After having my father explain his plan for exposing the KKK, I felt lighter and was able to breathe easier. I really was hurt when he didn't let me know about this earlier. His word and acceptance meant the world to me. He was my mentor and best friend, well other then Emmett.

As I lay awake in bed thinking about all that was happening, someone knocked on my bedroom door. My mother walked in with a plate of cookies and milk. Somehow she knew that I needed something after my talk with my father.

I moved over to allow her space to sit down next to me. She had that look on her face when she wanted to talk about something important. Knowing my mother, I feared this conversation.

She sat on the right side of the bed and pulled my head down, so I would be able to lay in her lap while she played with my hair. This was our typical position for her talks about marriage and grandchildren.

"So how are things with you and Lauren?" she asked.

"Ok I guess. I saw her like a week ago when she dropped by the office." I told her while taking a bite of her heavenly chocolate chip cookies.

Now I know I was too old to be lying on my mother's lap while I ate cookies, but what the hell. No one can see me and I really don't care. I love my mama.

"When are you planning on settling down? Lauren is a smart and beautiful young woman who any man would kill to have. She won't wait around forever." I rolled my eyes as she said this.

Sure Lauren can be considered "beautiful", but her character and attitude just was not for me. I pride myself in being a humble person. Anyone who knew Lauren knew she was anything but humble. I was only "dating" her to get my mother off of my back about settling down and having children. Guess I didn't think through that plan well enough. Not to mention that fact that my mother was obsessed with the idea for me marrying Lauren.

"Ma, come on. I have only been seeing her for like a month. Isn't that a little too early to be thinking about marriage, let alone children." I asked her.

Damn I need another cookie. This was starting to anger me. Truth of the matter was that my mother was pushing me to date Lauren ever since I turned of age. I finally gave in so she could stop her nagging. Hey I loved my mother, I just didn't like her sometimes.

"Edward, I want grandbabies. End of story. I want to see you happy, and I just know Lauren will do that for you. You haven't even given the poor girl a chance. Her mother called me today and invited us all to dinner tomorrow night. I expect you to be on your best behavior. She is the one for you I just know it." She said passionately while mindlessly stroking my hair.

It felt good and I knew she was trying to distract me. She wanted grandchildren so what better way to achieve that than to hook your son up with your best friend's daughter. She and Cindy, Lauren's mother, were best friends since first grade. They got married around the same time and got pregnant at the same time. When they found out that my mother would have a boy and Cindy was carrying a girl, they had our wedding planned, and our children named before we were even born.

"No, mom." I said, while sitting up and taking her hand.

"I will not marry Lauren, just so you can have grandchildren. That is not fair to me or for the children. No and that is final. When I meet the right one, then I will give you all the babies that you want, but I can tell you for certain that it won't be with Lauren. I don't like her, heck I don't even care for her. I am just doing this for you, but I have no intentions of marrying Lauren or having children with her. Hell if you want details, I haven't and will not even kiss her. So please just stop it with the Lauren talks already." I said.

This shit needed to end now. I can't live my entire life through my mother's plans. I tried to break away, but listening to my mother and doing what she says has been engraved in my heart since before I was born. It takes power and guts to say no to Elizabeth Masen.

"Honey, don't give up just yet. Give it some time. Please, for your dear old mother. Please." ah hell, she was giving me her I-carried-you-for-9 months-so-you-better-do-as-I-say-look. Shit, I had no will power against that look.

"Fine Ma, but just so you know I am doing this for you and I'm leaving Lauren the moment someone else comes along." I say as I kissed her on the cheek and gave her a hug.

"Sure dear whatever you say. I know that you will change your mind. Now go to bed, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow." she says as she stands up and takes the plate of cookies and milk with her.

I don't like her tone, but seeing as I was too tired to argue, I gave up on convincing her that there was no way in hell that I would end up marrying Lauren. I will try again tomorrow.

*****

After waking up from a rather disturbing dream where I had 10 kids with Lauren who all looked like her I made my way to the office with my father. We say good morning to Ms. Cope or was it Mrs. I never know anymore. That old bat has married so many times people have lost count. She is a kind soul though. He went to his office and I went to mine. I have a few new cases, but none of them seem interesting enough anymore. It's been about three weeks since my father and I spoke of the KKK. I want to help him with the KKK cases but every time I ask he tells me that it's not time yet. Whatever the hell that means.

As I look over the new cases, I hear a commotion coming from downstairs. I hurry out of my office to see that Ms. Cope is denying Chief Swan from seeing my father.

"He is very busy this morning Chief. Please come back later." She tells him.

"I don't have time for later. Just let him know that I am here right now. I need to speak with him and it's urgent. I will see him even if I have to force my way through." He yells at her.

"Chief Swan follow me Sir. I will show you up to my father." I tell him. I offer my hand and he greets me and thanks me for my help. I lead him up stairs to my father's office. I find him being bombarded with files and books. He almost looked lost in a sea of papers, pens, and books.

"Dad, Chief Swan is here to see you, says that it's extremely urgent." I show Chief Swan to the leather seat and he takes it without another word. My father drops whatever he was working on and a look of fear flashes across his face.

"Last night a group of fishermen found a little girl on the bank of a small lake where they were fishing. Her clothes were missing and she was bruised all over. Turns out it was little Hailey, Carl Lee's daughter. She was going to the store to pick up some groceries for her mama but she never came back. After a couple of hours, her mother sent her brothers looking for her. They didn't find anything. Thankfully the group of fishermen knew her daddy and took her home. She's in the hospital now but it doesn't look good. No one knows who did it to her." Chief Swan explained.

"Jesus Christ. Little Hailey is not a day over 10 years old. Her poor parents. I hate to ask cause I know the answer but was she violated?" My father asked.

" Well the little girl ain't saying much but the bruises on her body indicate that she was raped. Right now they're focusing on her head and upper body. She has some internal bleeding and she has been unconscious ever since they found her. Her father is going crazy and her mother hasn't stopped crying. But the reason I'm here is because some people saw a brand new yellow pick up truck with a repel flag drive past the lake where they found Hailey. Now you know who that truck belongs to."

"Shit. Jamie Cobb. That son of a bitch. That kid needs to be fried for the shit that he's done. Damn it. Edward sit down. Its time." My father says as a looks up at me. I was standing in the doorway ever since Chief Swan took his seat. For a moment I lost all thought process. All I was focusing on was the fact that this poor little girl who hasn't even begun to live had her entire future stolen away from her. I moved from the doorway and sat down next to Chief Swan. I was a little nervous. That guy scared the shit out of me. He had a large build and didn't take shit from anyone. Best example was today with Ms. Cope where he was getting ready to shoot her if she didn't let him through.

"So son, I know you know some of the workings of the KKK. Well Jamie Cobb is the little brother of James Cobb. James Cobb is the leader of the Klan here in Forks. Whenever Jamie got in trouble, James always found a away to find a distraction that would result in his brother being found innocent of the crime that he's done. This boy needs to pay for what he did to Hailey. This case will be the hardest one we've had in a while and I need all the help that I can get. Almost no one is willing to mess with the brethren of the Klan. Well not me. I am taking down Jamie Cobb and whomever helped him if it's the last thing that I do. Now I am going with Chief Swan to the hospital to pay my dues and to see if there is any more information. Chief Swan, quick question, whose Hailey's doctor?"

"That would be Dr. Carlisle Cullen." Chief Swan answered my father. Carlisle was my uncle through marriage. His wife Esme and my mother were sisters. Their daughter Alice was like a sister to me who annoyed the ever-living daylights out of me. I loved them all very much.

"Great that makes things a little bit easier. Carlisle hates those boys almost as much as I do. He has seen and attended to all of their victims. Now Edward I need you to stay here and hold down the fort. I will let you know with whats happening." My father asked me while getting ready to leave with Chief Swan.

"Now I know this isn't the best time, but Renee wanted me to let you all know that she is throwing a welcome home party for our little girl tomorrow and it would mean a lot to us if you and your family would attend." Chief Swan asked my father.

My father laughed at this.

"Charlie, I've known you since we were kids. We are family. Off course we will come. We haven't been together in a while. Carlisle would love to come as well. Stop being so formal." My father chuckled once more and both he and Chief Swan left without another word leaving me to attend to matters here at the firm.

Now I knew that my father, my uncle, and Chief Swan were all like brothers but I kept my distance from Chief Swan. What can I say? That man scares me. He had always been nice to me when I was a child. Emmett and I got into trouble once when we were teenagers and if it wasn't for my father's influence I would have spent the night in jail. Chief Swan has kind of given me the cold shoulder ever since. I think he hates me for some reason. Oh well. Can't have everyone love me.

Around mid afternoon, my father came back from the hospital. He looked shaken and tired. He went straight to his office asking me to follow him and close the door.

He sat down as his desk for a while before he spoke.

"Well Hailey woke up about two hours ago. Her parents held her and cried. She kept saying that she was sorry over and over again. She kept asking her daddy why he didn't stop the bad men from hurting her." My father choked at the last words.

He tried to hold back his tears but a few of them escaped. I knew this was hard on him. He always wanted a little baby girl to spoil but it was never meant to be. That is why he spoiled the hell out of Alice. He treats her like his little girl.

" She kept repeating "I kept callin for you daddy but you never came". I swear her father almost died right there and then at the anguish in his daughter's voice."

"Dad, you said that she said that the men hurt her. It was more than one?"

"Yeah. It was two. She didn't know who they were. But from her description it sounds like it was Jamie and his buddy Will. Them two boys have been attached at the hip and always do their shit together. Charlie is talking to one of his informants. They are all meeting down at the bar tonight to try and get Jamie to talk. Charlie is confident that those boys will be behind bars tonight. The problem is keeping them there. Carl Lee is in shock as of now but once that wears off, there is no telling what that man will do." My father said. He looked outside of his window for a while. He was deep in thought and he seemed to forget I was in the room.

"So, how are things with you and Lauren?" my father asked with a smile in his voice.

"Oh good God. Not you too. Dad I don't like her. I am only doing this to stop Ma from harassing me about settling down. But ever since I told her that Lauren and I were "dating" she has it in her head that, that means me dating Lauren means that we are engaged. Good Grief." My father started laughing at my outburst. I felt better now that his dark mood seemed to be lifted.

"Son thank god for that. Lauren drives me insane. If she were to become my daughter in law, I would disown you and that is no joke. Stop doing what you mother wants you to do. You are your own man. She can't control your life."

"Well can you tell her that cause she doesn't listen to me."

"No way. I like going home to a nice cooked meal and a warm bed. You are on your own when it comes to telling your mama that Lauren is not the girl for you." He just kept on laughing.

"Dad, you think I don't tell her this. She just keeps saying that I am wrong and everything will work out for the best." I tired explaining this to my father. He just kept at laughing at me.

"Yeah well don't worry I have a feeling that you will be meeting the girl of your dreams soon." He told me.

"What, not you too dad! What is wrong with you people! Why can't you just let fate or whatever do its thing instead of trying to hook me up with who ever you think is good for me." Great now my father was playing matchmaker.

"Son, just shut up and listen to your old man. Your soul mate is just around the corner. Now get up off of your fat ass and do some work. I want to go home early today."

"Yeah whatever dad. Please just stop with all the soul mate crap. You know I don't believe in that shit." I tell him as I leave. He just kept on laughing. Stupid know it all lawyers.

The next day my parents, Emmett and his family, and myself all gathered outside of Charlie Swan's house. My parents and Emmett's parents left us at the front door. They all went to the back yard.

"Man, I know Chief Swan is a nice guy and all but I am scared. He has hated us ever since we te-ped the mayor's and judge's house. That man can hold a grudge." Emmett said.

"Yeah I know what you mean. I still can't believe that he invited us here today. Our parents yeah I understand but us. I don't get that man sometimes."

"Whatever, lets just go in the back yard, eat drink and be merry." He joked.

We made our way to the back yard to find it filled with people. Who ever Charlie Swan's daughter is must be the town princess or something. It seemed that everyone in town was here.

We made our way to the drink table and each grabbed a beer. It was smoldering outside and the icy beer felt good.

"Hey man, whose the hot babe that Alice is talking to?" Emmett asked.

I looked over to where he was looking at. There stood three people with Alice. A tall guy with blond hair and a good build, a striking blond beauty with a body to kill, Alice, and another person who I couldn't see.

"Don't know man. Lets go see." I said.

We made our way over to the group of people. Alice noticed us coming and rushed over to greet us. She jumped into my arms and squeezed my neck until I couldn't breathe. The blond that she was speaking to gave me a dirty look. Guess he thought I was her boyfriend or something.

"Ali…sweetie. ..let …go. I can't… breathe." I managed to say.

"Opps sorry," she said as she gave me a kiss and jumped off into Emmett's waiting arms.

" I just really missed you guys. I haven't seen you for a whole week. That is just too much." She said while jumping up and down.

"So, Alice baby who are your new friends over there and most importantly can you hook me up with the pretty blond lady over there?" Emmett asked.

"Oh I forgot. Lets go over there and let me introduce you guys. And no Emmett, stop being a pig. Rosalie doesn't need you to be all over her." She said.

We made our way over to where the group of people were.

"Guys I would like to introduce you to my cousin Edward and his best friend Emmett." She introduced us to the group.

"Edward, Emmett, this is Jasper, his sister Rosalie, and our very own Belle Swan. They just moved here from Maryland and from what I hear they are here to stay." She introduced us.

"Nice to meet you man." I said while shaking hands with Jasper. He had a smile on his face once he found out that I was Alice's cousin.

"Well hello there little lady. I must say that today the angels have graced us with their presence seeing as you're here." Emmett told Rosalie while kissing her hand. That dude was a smooth fucker. I just hoped that Rosalie didn't fall into his traps.

"Well you must be mistaken cause I am no angel." she said.

Everyone laughed but one laugh stood out the most. It sounded like bells ringing. It was smooth and warm at the same time. I turned to the source of the sound.

What I saw took my breath away. She stood there in a blue and white summer dress that came up to her knees. She was slim and perfectly shaped. Her legs and arms were toned and her hair fell to her waist. It was a lush brown with red and gold that danced in the sunlight. Her lips were ruby red and she just looked beautiful and natural. But was captivated me the most were her eyes. She had warm chocolate eyes that were big and round with gold around the edges. They seemed to look right through me and into my soul. They were deep and warm in color. She was breathtaking. I found myself staring at her until someone cleared their throat. That seemed to snap me out of whatever spell she had me under.

"Ms. Swan, I must say that is my extreme pleasure to make your acquaintance." I said while taking her hand and kissing it. As soon as my lips made contact with her skin, a shock rushed through my body.

She gasped and I let go of her hand ending the circuit that seemed to run through my body.

"The pleasure is all mine." She said in a voice so beautiful that I was wondering if Emmett was right about angels gracing us with their presence today. She blushed and looked away. The red in her cheeks made her look even more breathtaking. I wanted to look at her. I just couldn't look away. She would meet my gaze every once in a while and each time she would blush and look away.

The group continued talking to each other. I found my self-captivated with every word that Bella said. I was lost under her spell until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see my father smiling at me.

"What did I say about finding you soul mate today. You wouldn't believe me. I have just spent the last ten minutes watching you stare at the beautiful and lovely Bella. Don't ignore what I said. Good things come to those who wait." He said. He left me alone after that. I wasn't sure if soul mates existed or not but something was special about Bella. She captivated me from the start and no girl that I have ever met had done that to me. All I know was that things were going to be interesting this summer.

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**A/N: Ok so things are staring to pick up. Let me just explain a few things. Some people may not be familiar with who the KKK are or what the NAACP is.**

**The KKK stand for the Ku Klux Klan- they are group of white extremist who intimated anyone who is different from them. They have an extreme hate of people of color. Below is the Wikipedia answer to the KKK.**

**Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as The Klan, is the name of several past and present far right hate groups[2] in the United States whose avowed purpose is to protect therights and further the interests of White Americans of Protestant faith by violence and intimidation. The first such organizations originated in the Southern states and eventually grew to national developed iconic white costumes consisting of robes, masks, and conical hats. The KKK has a record of using terrorism,[3][4] violence, and lynching to murder and oppress African Americans,Jews and other minorities and to intimidate and oppose Roman Catholics and labor unions.**

**The NAACP stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Their mission statement is below.**

**The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination.**

**Hope that Clarifies any misunderstands. Please Review. That would make my day.**


	4. Home and Jade Eyes

**Hey guys, I'm back. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed and stayed with me this long. This chapter is short because I am just getting back into the groove of things. I apologize for any mistakes in advance. Once again, Twilight and all of the lovely characters are not mine. **

**ENJOY**

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Being home for the last week felt right. There was no cloud over my head and I actually smiled. My mother couldn't be happier and my father was down right giddy. Rose, Jazz, and I had made our decision as soon as we spent the first night here. This was home and we would not be going back to Maryland. Unfortunately my mother insisted on throwing us a welcome home party where she would invite the whole town. I haven't seen these people for ages and yet she expects me to remember everyone. I keep telling myself that this will make her happy and to just go with the flow. Rose on the other hand was just a skippy as my mother. She loved attention and saw this as a way to meet some new people. In other words, Rose was out hunting for a man. God help us all.

It was the night before the party and we were all sitting down eating dinner. Mama made some fried chicken, mac and cheese, and a green bean casserole. It was divine. As we started breaking the bread, the home phone started ringing and my father was out of his chair like his ass was on fire. He was speaking in a low voice, so we couldn't hear what he was saying. He quickly put on his jacket and made sure he had his gun and badge before kissing mama on the cheek and telling us not to wait up.

"I wonder who was on the phone to make your father miss dinner. You know how much he loves his chicken." My mother said.

"It must be important for him to miss dinner with us. I just hope that he is being safe."

Our backyard was overflowing with people and food. I didn't know that the small town of forks had this many people. Knowing my mother, she probably invited people from the other towns.

As Rose and I went to sit next Jasper, a small pixie like girl came gliding over to us. She was small in frame with waist long ebony hair. She was beautiful.

"Hello, my name is Alice and I have been waiting a long time for you," she said while holding out her hand to Jasper. He just looked shocked at her but quickly got his wits about him.

"The name's Jasper, and I am terribly sorry for the wait darlin" he said while taking her hand and kissing the back of it. I was shocked to see my buddy acting like this. He was never forward with any woman before. I looked over to Rose and saw that she was just as shocked as I was to see her brother acting like this.

Alice then turned to us and held out her hand. I grabbed it and introduced myself and Rose did the same. I was shocked to learn that she was our age. I have never seen her before.

"Well I went to a private girl's school up North ever since I young. I just moved here about 4 years ago. My father and your father along with my uncle are best friends. I am shocked and disappointed that this is the first time I am meeting you Bella. But never you mind, we have tons of time to catch up. " she said. I liked this girl. It seemed that she was not afraid to be who she was. While we were making small talk, Alice looked over my shoulder and started bouncing like a little bunny. She ran into the arms of a person who looked more like a god than man. She started hugging him like it was the last time she would see him. She finally let him go and jumped into the body builder next to him. She then dragged them over to where we were sitting and introduced them as her cousin Edward and his best friend Emmett. He made a comment about Rose being an angle and she replied back that she was no angle. Don't I know it.

The man named Edward looked over to me and I was hypnotized about his beauty and grace. His hair was messed up to perfection and his eyes were that of jade. We just stood staring at one another until someone cleared their throat and that seemed to snap us out of whatever trance we were in.

"Ms. Swan, I must say that is my extreme pleasure to make your acquittance," he said in a voice so soft and smooth it sounded like velvet. He took my hand and placed a small kiss on the back of it. As soon as his lips touched my skin I felt a touch of electricity spread from my hand towards the rest of my body. It was intense and short lived but I craved more. I think I gasped or something but I remembered that I have yet to speak.

"The pleasure is all mine" I replied and felt the heat rise to my cheeks and I looked away. Who was this man and what was he doing to me and my body. Never have I experienced something so intense from a complete stranger. Our group continued to make small talk. I saw how Rose looked over to Emmett and he her and I knew that she had found her man. Jasper was even worse off. He hung on every word that Alice said. I felt like someone was staring at me but whenever I would look to see who it was, I couldn't find anyone interested in me. A man came up and whispered something into Edward's ear before he came over to me and introduced himself as Edward Sr. He was as charming as his son and just as beautiful.

A woman came over and hugged Edward. He tensed up and removed her hands away from him.

"Oh come on Eddie, I just wanted to hold you" she pouted while trying to hug him again. She could be considered beautiful if it wasn't for that look in her eyes. I feel uncomfortable.

"Well Liz and mama wanted to speak with you privately but you were here and they told me to come get you. On come on love, your mother in law wants to speak with you," she says as she draged him over. I can tell from the look on his face that he was uncomfortable. As soon as he left, Alice and Emmett burst into laughter.

"Oh poor Eddie, man I hate Lauren. That girl is so stupid. Anyone within a mile radius of here can tell that Edward hates her guts. I hope he breaks up with her soon. " Emmett says while laughing his fool head off.

"His mother needs to know that boy will never marry that girl. They are just not meant to be," Edward Sr. says while shaking his head. He grabs me and Rose and walks us over to where Edward was standing with a group of women including my mother and a group of men. My father was also standing with them.

"Ladies let me introduce you the lovely Bella and Rose. These fine young ladies have made Forks a brighter place since their arrival." Ed, as he asked us to call him, said. I felt my tattle-tell blush come up. That man was a smooth talker. He introduced me to his wife and her friend Cindy. I don't think they liked me very much. I met Alice's mother Esme, who was warm and comforting. My mother and her seemed to get along well. Carlisle, Alice's father was also kind and generous. Lauren, as I came to find out was Edward's girlfriend hated Rose and I. She was rude and just down right nasty. I had a feeling that she was beauty of Forks and viewed Rose as a rival. Whatever, she cam hate whomever she wants. I just wanted to live this summer in peace.

When night fell, all of our guests except the Masen's and Cullen's left. The men went up to my father's study and the women were in the kitchen putting the food away. It seemed that Liz, Edward's mom, Esme and my mother were all close friends. That left Alice, Edward, Rose, Emmett, Jazz and myself to our own. We were all in the backyard just enjoying the peace and quiet. Edward was the first one to break the silence.

"I feel like I must apologize for Lauren's behavior today. I have no claim on her but she shouldn't have been that rude to any of you. I will be speaking to her tomorrow. This thing between us needs to end now." He said while looking at me. His eyes were so pretty in the moonlight.

"No need Edward. She is just a child in a grown woman's body. But thank you non the less." I tell him. The others have coupled off leaving only us talking.

We talked about our pasts and dreams of the future. With every word that he spoke, I felt more at peace with him. He was a lovely man who seemed to have captured my heart with a single kiss to the hand. This summer was going to being some interesting thins to my life. Hopefully Edward was one of those things.

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**Well I hope that you like it. I will be working on my other stories as well. Please Review. **

**5 new Reviews = an upadate within a couple of days. **


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